AN: This is Rivai speaking. Last update was July...goddamn.
Anyone seen the FFVII Remake trailer? Of course you have. XD THE HYPE WAS REAL. That was, hands down, a-ma-zing. Hope the graphics won't disappoint, hope the STORY is still intact, and hope that you please, please, shorten the time interval for the Knights of the Round Summon and Sephy's, asteroid, thing.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII. If I did, damn would I be rich?
Since this is the Seventh save file, 11k words is enough, right?
It also helps a bit to have the track 'Let the Battles Begin' playing while reading the first part of this chapter. Now, who wants Limit Breaks? /Just a joke; please don't take it so seriously…
Enough rambling, please Review after this~! ^_^
Enjoy Save File Seven.
~Rivai
Save File Seven
"Taste my falcon punch, sucker!" I leapt and did an imitation of Shizuo's falcon punch on a guy with freaking chopper blades on his head! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to punch the clothes out of him, but, oh well. As the guy tripped over the railing, I quickly climbed a few more stories, Icing and Firing the other chopper dudes out of my way.
This…was harder than I thought. Not only were the spaces cramped, it was also dangerous, for the tower was old, older than I had imagined. The steps creak, railings would sometimes give away upon impact. It's like, one wrong move on this tower, and you're seeing the Game Over sign. "Get the hell outta my way!" I could hear Barret screaming, several stories away. With how furious he is about Shinra, I really can't blame him as bullets showered upon some unlucky s.o.b. The building shook as wave after wave of soldiers would appear, making it increasingly difficult for me to catch up to him.
"Take this!" I pulled out my gun and started firing wildly. Some were normal bullets, others were my classic invention of Materia Shots (it's the lamest name I could give, but it'll have to do). The shots were frantic but hit their target nonetheless, "Whew…I'm getting tired…" I gasped for breath as I leaned onto a railing. Shit, I ran all the way from Sector Six, didn't stop to take a breather, and now I'm running my ass on these damn stairs! I sighed, not wanting to experience this pain again; note to self, do not, in any circumstance, take the stairs at Shinra HQ. As I wiped my sweat, I suddenly heard a familiar sound.
Chopper Blades?! I looked behind me to prepare myself for another battle with a chopper guy, but none came. The sound however, was coming closer. Where the hell is that coming from? I swiveled to look around. Just then- "Yo, you look like a deer in headlights." A mocking voice sounded from behind. I turned to look, and came face to face with a Shinra helicopter, and with none other than that smug-ass face of Reno.
Oh, shit. My eyes widened at the sight. They're here faster than expected. "You know, it's easy to track you down after you stole my IDs." Grinning like a fox, he took out his mag rod and pointed the tip of it to my face. "It's payback time."
"Screw you..!" I cried out, flipping the finger back at him. "You're the one who got drunk! You can't even hold your damn liquor!" With that, I ran as fast as my legs can carry me, climbing the rest of the stairs while the helicopter circled around the tower, a gatling gun being fired at me. Just a little more, just a bit more! I'm almost there. The gatling gun was less merciful. Reno was enjoying this, apparently.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Nggh..!" What? I tripped? Did I make a mistake with my pacing or something? Before I could register what happened, a searing pain was spreading above my torso. "Gugh…" Next, it was as if all parts of my body were being burned into a crisp. My vision was specked with crimson and black dots as I struggled to see what is going on.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
It was getting harder to breathe. The bullets probably pierced my lungs. Is this…it..? I coughed and wheezed. Shit, my asthma… "Now's…not…the time…damnnit!" I sputtered, almost laughing at my pathetic stature. I could feel my already deformed hand fumbling in the pockets of my windbreaker for a Potion, anything. "Damnnit…" I cursed silently when I found none. I must have used it all up during our ascent on this tower. Is it…really going to end like this..?
The sounds of the helicopter was fading away, Reno probably presumed me dead. It's weird really. Besides the sounds of battle a few stories ahead and the people down scurrying to evacuate, it sounded almost peaceful, serene. "Man…this really may be it." A lopsided grin crossed my features. Blankly, I raised my hand, willing the Restore material to do its thing, but nothing happened. The only thing it did though, was making my head ache.
"Ow…" I groaned and used my remaining strength to sit myself up. There was that disgusting sound of blood dripping from my stomach; some trickled down from my forehead to my chest. I wonder how bad my shape could be. If my mom saw me, she'd throw a fit. But then again, if I die here, maybe, just maybe, I could go back home. "Ghg…this really sucks…" My mouth was numb from moving. I gently used my good hand to rub my arm; it's getting cold. Is that the light over there..? It's corny, cliché, dramatic, but if it's a way to go back home, then-
{Do you really want to go back to that boring life of yours?}
My eyes snapped open. That's right. "Gugh…Aaaargh..!" I forced myself to stand up, my good hand griping on a rail tightly while the distorted one clamped onto my still bleeding stomach. That's why I'm here..! My legs screamed in agony with each step I take. That's right. I can't die, yet. There are still so many things to do, so many places to see, so many people to save; AVALANCHE, Shinra, Sephiroth, Meteor…-
"…Aeris…" I grit my teeth, my right eye twitching slightly. Until this journey fades out, whatever may happen, Advent Children or Dirge of Cerberus, I will see this one out. I'll be doing Cloud and Zack a favor anyway.
Suddenly, I could hear footsteps echoing from behind. I tsked and looked over my shoulder to meet the intruders. I grasped for my gun, however, my hand slipped and I lost my footing again. "Shit!" I cursed as I tumbled down. The pain was everywhere, it was dulling my senses. But I still refused to give up.
The footsteps trailed away, and as I turned to face them, I was ready and armed with a gun with barely any ammo and no MP. "You guys just don't know when to ba-! Huh?" I stopped midway, my snarl slackened into a look of surprise.
"Noel?! Are you all right?!" The raven-haired brawler dashed to my side as Cloud followed suit. I couldn't stop grinning. Now that they're here, it would be a piece of cake to face Reno. "Heh, it's gonna take a lot more than this to beat me, Tifa." I chuckled then doubled over. Tifa gasped while the blond surged forward, preventing me from crashing down again. Damnnit, my legs still aren't working straight.
"Tifa, Potion. Cure, anything!" Cloud urgently ordered as he sat me down while the raven took out two identical green bottles and one blue bottle. Seeing this, I made a grab for the blue bottle, which is an Ether. "Save your potions, guys. What I really need is the Ether." I said as I clumsily popped open the flask and drank the entire thing. Hmm…tastes like…coconut?
Tifa was concentrating her Cure magic on one of my open wounds as I casted my own Cure to help. The blond took the red band from my forehead and used it to bandage my hand. The magic was burning onto my skin, but otherwise it turned out fine. At least the bleeding stopped. "Can you move, Noel? We still have to climb the rest of the way." Cloud asked as I waved my now okay hand.
"Gimme a minute, but you guys go ahead. I'll catch up to you." I replied with a serious face. Cloud was dubious. He merely stared, then nodded. "Okay, but let Tifa help you. Is that alright with you, Tifa?" He turned to his childhood friend, who bobbed her head vigorously.
"Of course..! Barret needs you, Cloud; I'll help Noel." We all nodded as Cloud sprinted up the stairs, buster sword unsheathed. I exhaled deeply as I struggled to stand up. Tifa, noticing this, hurried to lend her shoulder to me. "Thanks, Tif." I goofily smiled. However, I didn't expect to receive a smack to my head.
"Ow..!"
"Hmph! That's for going on your own, Noel." She huffed as I nervously sweat dropped.
"Sorry, but it was for the greater good…" I weakly explained as we trudged slowly. I figured I was slowing the boxer down, but she insisted that I don't push myself, lest that I hurt myself again. We took a couple more flights, the bodies and carcasses on the way were increasing in number that it was nauseating to even look.
"Noel, I got a question…" Tifa asked out of the blue. I clumsily shifted my head and urged her to go on.
"Yeah?"
"How did you know that the pillar's going to fall..?" My stomach did a backflip. It hurt and I suddenly felt sick. I completely forgot about this loophole, and it made sense that Tifa would become suspicious of my actions, knowing that I wasn't supposed to know yet of the Don and Shinra's schemes.
Seeing that I didn't respond, Tifa continued with a strained voice, "Noel, are you really working for Shinra?"
I vigorously shook my head. I hate being associated with those scumbags. "No way, Tifa! You know as well as I do, that they destroyed my hometown and they're killing the land too." I yelped when her grip on my shoulder tightened abruptly. I met her icy stare that looked a little hurt; the backflips in my stomach are doing cartwheels. "Noel," The mere mention of my name sent a cool shiver down my spine. "I want you to know that I still trust you. But it is so because I know that you trust in me as well."
"The Planet's in danger and me and the rest of AVALANCHE are going to save it. If you really are affiliated with Shinra, if you do anything to stop us from reaching our goal, then I'm going to do everything in my power to stop you in return." My jaw dropped at her words. The brawler continued to silently gaze at me. I gulped and stared back. Was my cover blown..?
Finally, she sighed and her grip lessened, "...I guess I'll see." She gave me a sideways glance and nudged her raven head up. "This is something between us; I don't want Cloud or Barret or any of the guys to know." She said, trudging ahead. I remained silent as I merely stared hard on the ground, thoughts immediately coursing through my mind.
I can't have them lose their trust in me so easily and so early into the game. It would be impossible to survive without them in my side, as well as beating this game may be a possible way to go back to my real planet. I don't have that many leads, but one lead is good enough as any lead.
Also, I bit my lip until it drew blood. I need to save them. Maybe one reason of it all is because I am the only one that can save them. I must take this chance..!
"...Don't worry."
I could feel the brawler's head inclined towards me as I continued in a raspy voice, "I have no intention of betraying my friends." And that is a promise.
We climbed a few more stories when I realized that things have gotten quiet. Too quiet. There was no sound of Cloud slashing or hacking nor of Barret's curses and gunshots. Tifa must've noticed it too, with the way her body is tensing each time we climb a step. At last, we reached the top of the pillar. There, I saw a familiar chocobo-head and a burly man huddled over a figure lying stone cold on the ground. "Cloud! Barret!" Tifa called out to them as I waved a heavy hand.
"Tifa, Noel..! We caught the little sucker from activatin' the switch!" Barret exclaimed rather proudly, arms crossed and a wide smirk across his face. Cloud was emotionless as usual, but he is searching through the guy's stuff. Tifa gave off a sigh of relief as she and I slowly walked towards them. I myself am glad that they were able to stop Reno. That would mean that the Sector Seven slums are safe. I hope though, that Aeris is alright, but I think I can trust Tseng here. After all, he was kinda nice to Zack (in his own way) during Crisis Core. However, he could be a bit of a bitch here since it's all about Aeris and the Ancients and Sephiroth and blah blah blah. Hopefully, he can cut us some slack.
As we got nearer and nearer to them however, my gut started to twist in the most uncomfortable feeling ever. I don't know what's causing it, but as soon as I took a good look at the person lying on the ground, my whole body stopped.
That's... My eyes widened in horror. That's not...
"Heh."
The whole group and I whirled around as an all-too familiar red-head stood nonchalantly next to the Release switch. "Reno!" I shouted at him and tried to move but the raven was holding me in place, either in fear or in shock I would never know.
The Turk nastily smiled as he drew a puff from his cigarette. "You're too late. Once I press this button..." His hand hovered over the big red button as I vigorously shook Tifa's grip off me and reached out my hand to prevent him from pushing it.
"RENO, STOP! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT-!"
Beep.
"That's all, folks! Mission accomplished." He said as he shifted his body to face us. He took out his mag-rod too, aimed at us. I could feel my eye twitch from an unknown emotion welling up inside me.
"We have to disarm it! Cloud! Noel! Barret! Please!" Tifa sobbed as she held her hands to her chest. My eye twitched again and felt my body move on its own accord.
"I can't have you do that." Reno shrugged smugly as he waved his mag-rod at her. "No one gets in the way of Reno and the Tur-!"
"AAAAAARGHH!"
Reno wasn't able to finish his sentence as I heard myself scream like an amazon warrior and ran head on to slam against him. My body isn't my own as I ran and tackled him down. "Noel!" Cloud cried out between our muffled gasps and groans of pain as I continued to ram against him. "O-oy! What are you-?!" Reno's statement was, again, blocked as I reeled back a moment to punch him squarely in the face.
"You SON OF A-!" I was about to finish my own statement when the redhead countered with a headbutt. The pain was burning everywhere, but I didn't stop. In fact, I didn't care enough to stop. All it mattered right now is that Reno just pushed a button that literally signed the death sentence of the population of Sector Seven slums!
"Noel! Watch out!" Tifa yelled as the scuffle between me and Reno escalated and...
"SHIT!" The Turk cursed as we both toppled over a railing and fell.
"Bastard!" I reared my knee to sock him at the gut as Reno tried to grasp away from my grip. "Are you fuckin' stupid, yo?! We're gonna die..!" He bellowed as my arms flailed, trying to keep him from escaping. It doesn't matter, I failed my first objective. If Sector Seven slums' going down, I'm going down with it and the one behind it all: Reno.
I could feel my strength leaving me as we continued to go down the ever tall tower. I tried choking him but my consciousness is fading. "Shit! Gotta think..!" The Turk fumbled with his mag-rod and madly began waving it in front of us.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I roared from my exhausted lungs. I'm not having him use his weapon against me.
"Shut it! I'm saving us both..!" He exclaimed as the ground grew closer and closer. Finally, Reno stopped waving his mag-rod and a piercing orange light began to surround us. "W-what?!" My mouth gaped open as the light wrapped itself around us and formed a somewhat triangular shape.
"Pyramid!" It completely encompassed us as we reached the ground. The impact was so strong that the pyramid shattered upon effect as we bounced off from the spell and landed on a pile of debris. "Ngh..." I coughed as I spat out my own blood from my system. I was on all fours as I struggled to stand up. A few meters away from me, there's that redhead, clutching his leg and his stomach, which is bleeding probably from a shrapnel. "Have to get away from here..." Reno mumbled as he gawked up above. I followed his gaze and watched in dismay as the pillar began to blow up. Sparks and debris began to fall and it's coming right at us..!
Cloud...Barret...Tifa...
"No..." With more ferocity, I heaved myself up from the ground and limped towards Reno. "We gotta go." I immediately said as I reached for his shoulder and had him resting his torso against me. I could feel him being reluctant at first, but I guess he had no choice. He didn't plan to die here, and I hope I can still pull this through. Biggs...Wedge...Jessie...
"You're an ass, you know that yo?"
"Look who's talkin'. You're a dick."
Pieces of metal were raining down upon us, but with Reno's Pyramid shielding us, we were able to safely trek ahead. Along the way, however, I could see bodies and carcasses scattered everywhere. They were only a few, but still. How many lives can I save while I'm here? Or is it the opposite? "Dead bodies new to you?" I rolled my eyes at the thought. Why is he still initiating awkward conversations with me?
"...Not really. But I've seen enough to possibly scar me for a while." I answered honestly as I tried to balance our weight. Reno softly jerked his head and chuckled thoughtlessly. "You ain't seen nothin' yet, I tell ya..." His voice trailed off and his form began to weigh more. I clucked my tongue; we're still not at the gates of Sector Seven. The plate's gonna crash at any minute now, and we might really, legitimately die if we don't get out of here.
"Wake up, Reno..!" I growled as I trudged faster, the pain in my legs was so numb I can't even feel them at times. "Wake up!" I gasped between breaths as I felt the ground tremble. Shit. I raised my head as the bands supporting the plate finally gave away. "Fuck!" Hurriedly, I dragged the Turk to rest against the Sector's wall.
We're so damn close but... I quickly took a potion and forced its entire contents inside Reno's mouth, all the while slapping him to wake up. The trick seemed to work, as the redhead's eyes slightly fluttered open to register what the hell is going on. "Reno, use your Pyramid, NOW!" I bellowed as I held his arm with his mag-rod to guide him. Wordlessly, he used the same movements from before, an orange light forming around us as he did so. But it's still not enough. A single Pyramid won't be able to protect us from a giant plate squashing us like bugs!
"More Pyramids, mate..!" Reno surprisingly did as he is told, procuring three more of the same structure. The sounds of the plate are getting closer, and after the fourth spell, the Turk passed out again on the ground. I started to sweat buckets as I stood up and took his mag-rod, "PYRAMID!" I waved it around like a wand as a surge of magic flowed through me and out of the rod.
The plate is seconds away from colliding with the spell. An auburn energy field slowly rose up, but the process was interrupted by the debris from the plate. I felt the ground quake as I lost my footing and slipped. The noise was penetrating through my ears as I screamed while the plate came crashing down on us, and everything went black.
"No...Noel, this can't be..."
Tifa knelt on the ground, her arms grasping onto her stomach as she sobbed hysterically. Barret on the other hand was swearing and cursing so loud, shouting the names of the people he knew.
"Marlene! MAR-LE-NE!" He ran to one side of the gate and pounded on the jagged sides of the rubble. "Biggs!"
"Wedge!"
"Jessie!"
Barret punched unto the wreckage repeatedly, his voice turning bubbly with each shout. "Goddamn it! Damnit! DAMNIT ALL TO HELL!" With each curse he would slam his frame against the rubble while banging his gun arm on it.
"What the hell's it all for!?" He stopped suddenly; his shoulders are hitching. Cloud was kneeling over Tifa and turned to look at Barret. He bit his lip with his unreadable expression.
"Hey, Barret!"
"AARGHHHH!"
"Barret..!" Tifa ceased her crying as she and Cloud got up and ran to stand at either side of him. Cloud placed a gloved hand on his shoulder while the raven latched her arm to his, tears streaming from her eyes. "Barret, stop... Please stop, Barret." She whispered, but the gunman won't stop.
"URGHHHH!" Barret shook off the two and fired his gatling gun on the pile of debris, sweeping it with bullets. The only sounds happening were the ping-pangs of the bullets against metal as the bigger man screamed nonsense.
After a while, Barret stopped firing his gun and fell to his knees. He was forcing the tears from slipping as he clenched his jaws together. "God damn..." He punched the ground as the blond swordsman silently helped him to his feet and walked him over to the already demolished playground. Tifa followed suit, contemplating to herself.
Noel...
Cloud sat the gunman down at the end of the moogle slide. He and Tifa were standing nearby, waiting for him to say something. "Marlene..." Barret sighed with crestfallen eyes.
"...Barret...?" Tifa spoke up with a solemn voice. "Marlene is... I think Marlene is safe." She finished as the man in question looked up with his mouth slightly agape.
"...Huh?"
Tifa nodded, continuing. "Right before they took Aeris, she said, 'Don't worry, she's all right.' She was probably talking about Marlene."
"R, really?!" Barret stood up, hope now coloring his face. Tifa smiled a little before looking down again with a downcast expression. "...Yeah...but..."
"Biggs...Wedge...Jessie..."
"They weren't at the pillar." Cloud said, thinking of their whereabouts. "It's possible that they might be alive but..." He gazed at the ruined sector and hid his sigh.
"Noel too..." He unconsciously clenched his fist at the thought of the mousse haired young man. "He fell down the pillar along with that Turk. There's...There's no chance that he could've survive that..." His voice trailed off with Tifa wiping the small tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Think I don't know that?"
Barret suddenly spoke up, turning away as he's not facing either of them. "We, all of us fought so hard together." He looked down and turned to face them back again. "I don't wanna think of them as dead..!"
"And the other people in Sector Seven..."
"This is all so fuckin' screwed up!" Barret snarled angrily, smacking his hands together. "They destroyed an entire village just to get to us! They killed so many people..." Tifa looked up to him, her shaking hands clasped together on her chest. "...are you saying it's our fault? Because AVALANCHE was here? Innocent people lost their lives because of us?" She countered softly, afraid that her voice might break under the emotions she's bottling up. The gunman briskly shook his head at her statement.
"No, Tifa! That ain't it! Hell no!" Barret barked as he gazed up to the Shinra logo in the midst of the wreckage and immediately growled at it. "It ain't us! It's the damn Shinra! It's never been nobody but the Shinra!"
Cloud took a step back and turned away. Barret continued his rant about the Shinra as the blond contemplated about...something. That girl...what was her name? Aeris? She's an Ancient?
"—Our fight ain't never gonna be over until we get rid of them!"
"...I don't know." Tifa shook her head, still a little downcast. Barret looked quite put off at her reaction.
"What don't you know!? You don't believe me?"
"It's not that. I'm not sure about ... me. My feelings." She looked at Cloud as she replied. Barret decided to face the blond, whose back is still turned. "An' what about you?" He questioned him, who didn't answer. Cloud looked up, still not noticing the two staring at him. "..." Without a glance, he wordlessly left the playground. He could hear Barret's annoyed tirade about him but his mind is preoccupied, mostly about what the Head Turk said.
"Our orders were to find and catch the last remaining Ancient. It's taken us a long time, but now I can finally report this to the President."
Cloud walked along the broken highway, straying further away from the playground. "Cloud!" He paused his musings as he shifted his body to see Barret and Tifa run up to him. Barret was out of breath and his face was red; he probably just finished raving about his unusual actions. "Take me to Marlene!"
Tifa placed a hand to her chest, "You're going to help Aeris?" She inquired just as the ex-SOLDIER nodded. "Yeah... But before that, there's something I want to know." He replied as he took a few steps forward, his mind racing back to his thoughts a few minutes ago.
"What's that?"
"It's about the Ancients— Ugh..." Cloud placed a hand to his face as he tried to remember.
[In my veins courses the blood of the Ancients. I am one of the rightful heirs to this planet!]
A voice so cold and icy penetrated his mind, driving him to remember. "Sephiroth...?" He muttered incoherently as the dull pain aching in his mind acted up again, forcing him to collapse to his knees. He felt hands touch his shoulders as Tifa knelt down beside him with a worried face. "Are you all right?"
"Pull it together, man!" Barret hollered as he extended his hand for the mercenary to grasp on it. Cloud rose to his feet and shook those unwanted thoughts away. Worrying about his muddled up memories will have to wait; he has to save a certain flower girl for his friend.
The three members wandered around Sector Five, looking for Aeris's house. When Cloud asked Aeris where she lived during the time they were finding the way out of the Train Graveyard, he came to know that she lived somewhere in Sector Five. After much investigating and asking the local neighborhood, they found themselves standing in front of a quaint cottage decked with the overpowering smell of flowers. Tifa rang the doorbell and a few moments later, a woman in her late thirties appeared, wearing a white apron above her green patched-up dress. "Yes?" She somberly inquired as the raven nodded at her direction.
"Mrs. Gainsborough?" She started as the woman rose an eyebrow. "My name is Tifa Lockheart, I'm a friend of Aeris..." The woman stared at her, then to the whole lot of them. Her eyes were in shock, but numbly, she pulled the door wider and gestured them to come inside. They walked in with awkward silence hanging in the air. Cloud doesn't really know how to break it to her that her daughter just got kidnapped by Shinra.
Tifa sat herself on a chair as Barret hung over her close-by, clumsily hiding his gun arm. Elmyra was facing the kitchen sink, contemplating if she should make tea.
"Cloud...wasn't it?" She turned around to face them, the blond looking surprised at the fact that she knew his name. "I overheard Aeris and that boy Noel talk about the lot of you. You must also be his friends, right?" She said as the brawler nodded again, albeit stiffly at the mention of the green eyed young man. Elmyra gazed at them, her grip on her apron slackened.
"...It's about Aeris, isn't it?" Cloud glumly bowed his head. "...Sorry, the Shinra have her."
"I know. They took her from here." Everyone looked up to her, shock apparent in their faces. "They were here?" Cloud queried as Elmyra bobbed her head at his direction. The blond frowned upon the realization. "Why is Shinra after Aeris?" He questioned again as the woman looked away, wincing.
"...Aeris is an Ancient. The sole survivor."
"...What did you say? But, aren't you her mother?" Barret spoke for the first time since he came here. Elmyra rubbed her arm to comfort herself.
"...Not her real mother. Oh... it must have been 15 years ago, during the war. My husband was sent to the front. Some faraway place called Wutai." She gazed at the ground and smiled bitterly.
"One day, I went to the station because I got a letter saying he was coming home on leave. I waited, and I waited. But my husband never came back. I wonder if something happened to him. No, I'm sure his leave was just canceled. I went to the station every day. Then, one day... I found a woman collapsed at the station, there was a young girl with her. You used to see this sort of thing a lot during the war. Her last words were, 'Please take Aeris somewhere safe.' My husband never came back. I had no child. I was probably lonely. So I decided to take her home with me." She paused her musings and took a deep breath.
"Aeris and I became close very quickly. That child loved to talk. She used to talk to me about everything. She told me she escaped form some sort of research laboratory somewhere. And that her mother had already returned to the planet, so she wasn't lonely... and many other things."
"Returned to the planet?" Barret asked. Elmyra shrugged at the question. "I didn't know what she meant. I asked if she meant a star in the sky. But she said it was this planet... She was a mysterious child in many ways."
"One day," She continued, looking down at her hands. "Aeris came up to me and said, 'Mom, please don't cry.' ...She just blurted that out all of a sudden. When I asked her if something had happened..."
"Someone dear to you has just died. His spirit was coming to see you, but he already returned to the planet."
Elmyra sighed as she clasped her hands together. "At that time I didn't believe her. But several days later, received a notice saying my husband had died..." Her lip quivered, gently folding her hands again and again to keep her composure in check. "...That's how it was. A lot had happened, but we were happy. Until one day..."
"We want you to return Aeris to us. We've been searching for her for a long time."
A younger looking Tseng stood in the living room with Elmyra and Aeris. "No! Never!" Aeris squeaked, peeking out from behind her mother. Tseng sighed and smiled a little more gently. "Aeris, you're a very special child. You are of special blood. Your real mother was an 'Ancient'."
"That's where I first heard of the Ancients."
Tseng raised his hands as if beckoning the flower girl to him, "The Ancients will lead us to a land of supreme happiness. Aeris will be able to bring happiness to all those in the slums. That is why Shinra would like Aeris's cooperation..." At this, the young girl stepped away from Elmyra to face Tseng.
"He's wrong! I'm not an Ancient! I'm not!"
"But Aeris, surely you hear voices sometimes when you're all alone?" Tseng pressured on when she shook her head and stuck her tongue out.
"No, I don't!" Aeris stomped on her little foot and ran away from the two.
"But I knew. I knew about her mysterious powers…"
"Aeris, she…" Elmyra dabbed the corners of her eyes as small tears leaked out with the hem of her apron. "She tried so hard to hide it, so I acted as though I never noticed." Tifa stood beside her and gave her a hanky to blow into as Cloud was at loss for words. Mostly because of how the flower girl managed to escape the clutches of Shinra since childhood.
"It's amazing how she's avoided the Shinra for all these years…" He expressed in awe while the woman blew into the hanky Tifa offered.
"The Shinra needed her. So I guess they wouldn't harm her." At this, Tifa frowned to herself. "But, why now? I know Shinra could handle any feat thrown at them."
"She brought a little girl here with her." Elmyra explained, causing Barret to look up hopefully from his spot. "On the way here, Tseng found them. She probably couldn't get away fast enough. She decided to go to the Shinra in exchange for the little girl's safety." She stared down at her hands and heaved a huge sigh.
"Marlene! Aeris was caught because of Marlene!?" Barret jumped from the balls of his feet and made way to Elmyra. "I'm sorry. Marlene's my daughter. I'm ...really... sorry..." The woman's eyes widened as she stood up to completely face Barret. "You're her father?! How in the world could you ever leave a child alone like that!?" She proceeded to scold the big man, who only scratched the back of his head and bowed apologetically.
"...please don't start with that. I think about it all the time. What would happen to Marlene, if I... But you gotta understand somethin'... ...I don't got an answer. I wanna be with Marlene... But I gotta fight. 'Cause if I don't... the planet's gonna die. So I'm gonna keep fightin'! But, I'm worried 'bout Marlene. I really just wanna be with her... always."
"See? I'm goin' in circles, now." Barret sighed in defeat as Elmyra stared at him and slowly nodded. "I think I understand what you're saying... She's upstairs with someone else. She says that she is her friend." The three gaped at her for a moment until the raven-haired martial artist broke the silence.
"'She'?"
"She said that she's a comrade of Noel. I think her name was Jessie?"
"Jessie..!" Barret almost hollered her name out as he sprinted upstairs, his heavy footfalls echoing in the tiny cottage. Tifa was smiling happily as Cloud grinned to himself. At least someone remained alive.
Alive…
"Excuse me, but I was meaning to ask this…" Elmyra interrupted Cloud's train of thought. He inclined his head to show her that he's listening. "Where is Noel? Was he able to meet up with you?" She asked simply as the two glanced at each other, Tifa with her now sorrowful expression and Cloud with a grimace.
"Noel's… He…" Tifa began but kept stuttering. Cloud placed a glove hand on her shoulder and gazed at Elmyra in the eye. "…Noel and a Shinra operative fell from the Sector Seven pillar during a scuffle with Shinra. With its height and the plate falling with that kind of weight, it's highly impossible for Noel to have survived that." He finished as the woman in front of them bit her lip and looked down, hugging herself.
"I…I see…" She replied softly, settling herself down on the chair to calm herself down. "…You see, Aeris seemed to like that boy. That's…really a shame…" Tifa clutched onto Cloud's hand, still on her shoulder. She was visibly shaking. "Tifa…" The blond spoke softly as the brawler whimpered, "It's my fault... I was the one who got Aeris involved in this."
"Please don't say that," Elmyra shook her head. "Aeris doesn't think that."
Cloud settled Tifa down on another chair and trooped upstairs to check on Barret, Marlene and Jessie. Sure enough, as he went up, he was instantly tackled by the bomb-specialist. "Cloud..!" Jessie joyfully cried out as she hugged his neck. Jessie's covered from head to toe with soot and dust and some specks of blood but otherwise she seemed fine. The mercenary smiled ruefully and patted the brunette thoughtfully. "I'm glad that you made it, Jessie." He said as the girl pumped up a fist to her chest.
"Of course! Me, Biggs and Wedge weren't gonna go down that easily..!"
"Biggs and Wedge are alive too?"
"Uh-huh. They're at Sector Six right now, tending to the evacuees." To this, Cloud's expression shifted from surprise to relief. Not only were these three knuckleheads are alive, but they managed to save some of the residents of Sector Seven slums.
The young woman checked her watch and then peered downstairs, "Is Noel down there?" She said hopefully as Cloud's face fell. What is up with females trying to know about Noel's whereabouts? Well, he is a ladies man after all…
"He…He didn't make it…" Cloud sighed helplessly, tired of seeing the despair falling on everyone's face as they learn of the terrible news. Jessie covered her mouth as she gasped at the news. "No…" The two didn't say anything for a while. The blond continued to stare at her, waiting for some kind of response when she just hastily wiped her eyes and scurried downstairs, mumbling about checking on the others as she left. The ex-SOLDIER sighed again. The news of Noel's death isn't going to help the team right now, he bet, as he then walked over to one of the rooms. He could hear Barret sobbing and Marlene whining about his whiskers hurting her. He had to smile at that; there's always a cause and effect happening around here…
As he turned his heel to go back down to Tifa, he heard the door open and Barret went out of the room. "Cloud, you gonna go help this Aeris girl?" He asked the blond as he bobbed his spiky head in reply. Barret put up his gun arm with a wide grin, showing how pumped up he is. "She's done so much for me... If it's the Shinra you're dealin' with, I can't just sit here! I'm comin', too!" He declared as Marlene jumped up from her bed and ran up to Cloud. The blond, after noticing her, crouched down to meet her gaze.
"Guess what? Guess what? Aeris was asking me lots of questions. Like what kind of person Cloud is. I bet she likes you, Cloud!" She boldly pronounced as the man in question inwardly blushed. Well, he did notice that the flower girl is quite pretty…
"…I don't know." He said clumsily as he scratched the back of his spiky head. Marlene pouted and playfully hit Cloud's knee. "Stupid..! But then again, I think Aeris likes Noel too so you might have to fight with him." The child giggled feverishly as the blond reddened again.
However, his name was mentioned again. "Noel…" He stood up as he wordlessly watched Barret tuck in his daughter at the bed. That green eyed idiot died and left a girl behind. Why is that scenario so damn familiar to him?
No matter. He turned and walked back downstairs, meeting up with a now freshened up Tifa. He'll save this girl for him.
…
{Get up.}
…
{You are not gonna die here.}
…Huh..?
{Not here, not now.}
What…?
{GET UP DAMNIT.}
"Aargh!" I yelped and quickly sat up. But doing so, my head banged itself at a metal beam precariously hanging over me. "Oww!" My hands reached for my head and massaged the bump now forming on top of it. "Shit…that hurts…" I pouted to myself as I rubbed on the bump.
My surroundings are dark, but not enough that I could still see silhouettes of objects from here and there. I think it's because of the glow coming from the pyramid that I could still see, however, it seems that I'm trapped inside of the Pyramid; everything else was blocked up and no means of escape were visible yet.
I looked around and made a correction. Apparently, 'we're' trapped inside. Reno was still lying on the ground unconscious. The potion I gave him seemed to seal up his wound, but whatever that is that's still inside his wound is probably the one that's keeping him knocked out. I'm not much of a doctor nor am I armed with first-aid knowledge, but I can see the blood already dried up. The potion is working quite brilliantly.
Sitting up, I became more conscious of myself rather than Reno. What really surprised me most is that I seem to be okay. My clothes were tattered and dirty, my form rugged, my face covered in soot, but anything other than that, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with me. There wasn't even a scar marred across my skin. Dare I say it, I seem to be perfectly healthy and normal.
I narrowed my eyes as all sorts of questions raced towards my mind. How come I'm not hurt and who was that voice? Reno couldn't possibly been the one who healed me for two completely different reasons: a.) I'm sure he doesn't have any Restorative Materia nor any Potions and b.) we're not friends. My head was throbbing just thinking up all those questions. "What the hell is going on with me…" I quietly grumbled to myself as I stood up, casually avoiding the metal beams that wrecked through the still going strong Pyramid.
I decided to find my escape route, before the Turks track down Reno and prolly' catch me in the process. "Man, lucky that this Pyramid thing is strong. It actually held down the weight of an entire plate." Chuckling dryly, I knocked onto the orange, glass-like spell. It was then I noticed that the layer of the spells was reduced to one, and even the final layer of the spell already has cracks on it. Some appendages even managed to thrust itself through. "We are so damn lucky to be alive." I sweat dropped as I stared onto the glass.
Hmm… I really can't stay here for much longer. How much time have passed? Aeris was kidnapped by the Shinra and Cloud and the others are most likely worried about me. "…Since I kinda literally fell from the pillar, they might think I'm dead too…" I sighed, realizing how stupid and reckless that move was. Not only did I almost kill myself, but I almost got Reno dead as well. He's not exactly a bad guy, just someone who follows orders. Speaking of… I rounded up to the redhead and began to search him. I looked inside his pockets and got his new wallet, stashed with this month's paycheck, his new credit card, and a new security card for Floor 69 access. I smirked as I stuffed the said items inside my pockets while rummaging through his mag-rod.
There was only one materia-slot used, and it was a conveniently placed Fire materia. I plucked it out and marveled at my find. Peering inside the crystal golf ball, I took note of the flame which is slightly bigger than my Fire materia. "Is it Fire 2?" I scratched my head as I replaced my Fire materia from my Nativus glove. Instantly, I felt a surge of power flowing through me. I doubled over to my knees as the power, as soon as it came, disappeared completely. 'Weird.' I thought as I flexed my hand. 'This happened to me during the time I first equipped the Ice materia. Huh.'
Seeing as nothing serious happened, I thought about testing Fire 2's power. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I could blast the debris away and finally secure my escape route. Just as I was about to do so, a crackling sound penetrated the silence. I looked over at the unconscious Turk and searched his jacket again, where I came across a small walkie-talkie.
There was someone speaking into it. "Reno. Come in, Reno." I felt the corners of my lips twitch. I've heard that voice before. Ever since Crisis Core came out, I've always wondered how Tseng would do his voice acting.
I pressed the button at the side of the walkie-talkie and said, "I'm afraid Reno is out of commission for a while, sir." There was a pause at the other line, a long one. I was debating whether Tseng might've cut the connection or not when he spoke into it again.
"…Who is this? And how did you acquire this piece of equipment?" Easy, we fell from the pillar and got stuck in the wreckage. I rolled my eyes as I pressed on the button again.
"You probably already know who I am. After all, I am very close to a certain flower girl, you know." I smirked sadistically. The other line didn't say anything, so I continued. "…How is Aeris doing?"
"…"
"You didn't hit her or anything, did you?" I slyly questioned, coating my tone with acid.
"That is none of your business. And how did you know about her?" Tseng snapped at the other line, maybe out of anger. I snickered as I faked a sigh.
"Well now, Mr. Tseng. I guess I gotta go. After tracing this line, you might have already known my and Reno's location, am I right?" Silence again at the other line. I frowned, for maybe he really did cut the line.
"…Please hurry." I gave the redhead a worried glance. "I don't think he could survive in a place like this much longer." And with that, I dropped the walkie-talkie and stomped my foot onto it, completely snuffing it out. I tsked at it, kinda disappointed that I didn't acquire any information from our little conversation. I turned to Reno and directed my Cure materia at him. 'This should keep him going for a little while.' After the magic dispersed, I walked a few steps away from the Turk and concentrated all my mana onto the Fire 2 materia. "Hope this works." I snuck my hand out on one of the bigger holes of the Pyramid and activated the spell.
WHOOSH!
...BAM!
As soon as I activated the spell, I felt as though a vacuum was trying to suck the very life out of me. I gasped, clearly out of breath, but stood still and concentrated to release the magic. A fireball the size of a basketball erupted from my hand and blast itself off into the debris. It shot through the pile of junk through the air, burning off the excess material in the way. 'It sucked out a lot of my mana, huh? Oh, well.' I smiled in relief, glad that my idea worked. All I needed to do now is climb my way out and look for Cloud and co. Hopefully, they're at Sector Six marketplace by now, I want to be with them when we bust our asses to Shinra HQ.
I peeled myself cautiously from the Pyramid and worked my way up in this pile of metal. It's not that far, and I was able to trek without breaking a sweat. Finally, my hand felt wind grazing my skin, a sign that I've finally got myself out. It was already night time; the city lights in the distance helped me look at my surroundings. I clenched my jaw tight from dropping at the scene.
It was...an absolute nightmare. The glowing embers of the remaining flames were dotted here and there, shedding a bloody light upon the destruction that Shinra caused. Houses and buildings were destroyed up to the last brick; street lights and telephone lines were haphazardly strewn over the rubble like pasta, some still sparking upon the wind's contact. It was very quiet, and there was no human in sight. I squinted my eyes to check if there are any survivors, but if I found none. They are either buried alive, or were already dead the moment the plate started falling.
I looked away from the scene and distracted myself by climbing my way down, preferably to Sector Six. My stomach is in the middle of trying to belch itself out while the horrifying image stayed in my mind. 'A lot...a lot of people died...so many bodies...' I thought about Jessie and wondered if she survived. I thought about the evacuees and wondered if it was successful. I thought about my plan and wondered if I should still go through with it. When I think about it, I thought as I warily descended the hill of debris, death is very much real here. I'm beginning to think that it may not just be a game after all.
"So much for playing hero..." I chortled to myself. "There's a reason why they call it 'Final Fantasy'."
I jumped down from a rickety beam and landed ineptly on some person's roof. Apparently, things aren't going to be that easy, when I'm dealing with a corrupted, power hungry company such as Shinra and dealing with the trifles of this world. I can't do this alone, that much I could admit. "Damnit, where's the gates again?" I sighed as I scratched the back of my head, trying to think.
It was then I felt something cold thrust upon the skin of my neck and heard the words, "Freeze."
I did so, literally. My body tensed as the cold nozzle of a gun pressed itself even more. "Put your hands up in the air!" The voice behind me barked and I did as I was told. Slowly, I raised my hands to shoulder length, exhaling longer than I usually do.
Footsteps sounded behind me, and from the sounds of it, that's quite a lot of people. I gulped as the thud of boots echoed across the area, the clicks of guns as they are all pointed, possibly towards me. They were appearing at different directions, others emerged from their hiding spots. The red light from their helmets told me that Shinra is, once again, out to make my life miserable as fuck.
Their guns drawn, the MPs scattered in a circular area. Nobody else moved nor anyone spoke. "W-well, now. Isn't this a surprise." I nervously smirked, trying to sound cool. Damn it, I really should stop getting ambushed all the damn time.
"So, who's the one who sent you to get me? Turks?" I jokingly said, trying to think of ways to get out of this mess. Because I took my time going through Reno's stuff, Tseng must've already called a team to capture me and retrieve Reno. 'Damn it, this isn't good.' I clucked my tongue, glaring at the helmeted faces. 'I have to get out of here and save Aeris..!'
"No, no. It was I who called for them."
{..!}
That voice... No, it...it can't be...
The footsteps are getting closer. Somehow, those noises are sending uncomfortable shivers down my spine. I felt something trickle down my face and realized that I broke into a cold sweat. 'Wh-who the hell is this?! Why am I...why am I so afraid..?' I stiffened up and felt my hands quiver and shake at the fear. The footsteps are just behind me... 'Show yourself, damnit!'
A figure clad in white nonchalantly walked into view, glasses glinting from the light reflected by the fires still ongoing. He has greasy, slicked-back black hair that matched his gaunt face and emotionless, cold eyes. He has his hands in the pockets of his own white lab coat. "For you to have the ability to speak, you are, indeed, a very interesting anomaly." He cackled as my eyes widened at the sight of Hojo in front of me.
'What the hell is Hojo doing here?! And how did he find me?' I nervously looked around again, looking for my getaway. There are about ten Shinra MPs right now, including the guy behind me. For me to successfully break out, I'll have to shoot them down with my gun, a few salvos should do the trick.
But… My eyes wandered slightly below to the holster. With my hands raised I won't be able to do it in time. The MP behind me would surely pull the trigger before I could do so on my own. And I did use a lot of mana to conjure the Fire 2 spell. 'I'll have to take this guy down first, then.' I gritted my teeth as Hojo moved closer and peered his eyes down on me.
Somehow, this action seems creepy as fuck.
"….And what are you doing?" I questioned maliciously, making sure to sound venomous enough. It's like he's trying to peek inside my very soul. The other man smiled creepily and waved a hand from his pocket. "Come now, anomalies shouldn't be so difficult. Besides, I need to examine you a bit more." At this, he turned to the opposite direction and began to walk away.
"Take him to my laboratory."
Before I could move, the MP behind me strongly cocked the butt of his gun on the back of my neck. "Gugh..!" I gasped as the pain twinged mercilessly and I collapsed on the ground. The men begun to move, circling and pulling me to my feet. They hurried towards a chopper, the sound of its familiar blades growing closer and closer. I tried to register what is happening but my consciousness is slipping away.
"You think…I'm just going to let you…take me away?!" With the last of my strength, I willed for the Fire 2 materia to blast these mongrels away. "Gwaaaugh..!" One shouted as he let go of my arm due to the strong flames as I twisted behind me to kick the other two guards from their grip.
My head is splitting. Fire 2 is too advanced and too much for me. 'So this is how people are with no MP. Wait, I shouldn't worry about that now..!' Three guards down, seven more to go. I flexed my gloved fingers as I grinned at the remaining men. "I'm not going to go down that easily..!" I cried out as I ran and did a crazy back kick that sent two guards flying. My Nativus gloves were glowing red and blue respectively, firing and icing the dudes crazy enough to get to me.
"Take this..!" I took out my gun and shot several flaming fireballs. But with me still using mana, my consciousness is fading fast. I could barely see anything without the dark spots and blurred images. Before I could register anything, the remaining MPs came up to me and tackled me down to the ground, using their batons and guns to sock me in the gut. I choked on my spit and groaned as they took control of me again. Two MPs took hold of my shoulders, trying to stand me up to my feet. A shadow loomed in front of me as I could hear jeers and gruff voices.
"...Think you're so—huh?!"
The man in front of me punched my stomach, almost causing me to bowl over if not for the two guys hanging me up. The other men circled us around, sneering and making other loud noises. My vision is hazy; I couldn't make out the shapes anymore. Hojo was just ahead, looking down on me with his creepy-as-fuck glasses.
...help me...
"Gaah..!" I cried out as they keep throwing punches at my abdomen, some of them are even enjoying this and are taking turns.
{Huh, that's a first. Asking for my help.}
A searing pain grazed my cheek as they socked my face. Blood slowly dripped from a wound on the base of my forehead; it reopened.
'Anything to get out of this mess..!'
I screamed at the top of my lungs, struggling to release my arms from their hold. The pain was dulling over my entire body and my throat was on fire. I coughed up blood whenever their jabs reached my lungs. I closed my eyes, whimpering shamelessly.
"Are you sure about that?"
My eyes snapped open at the mysterious voice inside my mind. I heard it very clearly. It was as if whoever is speaking is just right in front of me. I blearily looked up and let my vision wander for a second. Between the in-fighting and the mad scientist a few meters away, there's a figure standing, its blurry form facing me. Is that..?
The figure snickered a bit; even I could feel the corners of its mouth lift in a mocking smirk. "This may be the first time you've seen me. You should be honored." His tone wasn't any less merciful, but I'm sure as hell I've heard him somewhere before...
I looked around, wondering why no one could see him. To my surprise, it was just the two of us, alone, in a white room. There is only one window, but even I couldn't see what's outside. It's so bright... I casually shielded my eyes. I turned my attention back to the figure. For some reason, his form seemed to be blurry, even with my eyesight seemingly okay now. "Well? Have you decided?"
He glanced around, his voice becoming softer. "In exchange for power, you can no longer look away from the things you don't want to see." I could feel his gaze on me that's like a thousand suns. I stared down to my hands, wondering what to do. Man, it feels like I'm some sort of anime right now. What was that again? The one with that weird mask? Kyoto Ghoul, was it?
I winced at the thought of my situation right now. There is no way I'm letting Hojo dissect my body or help him with his research. I'd rather die. Oh, but first, let me save this world before I pass on.
I mutely nodded and said, 'Do it. I've seen enough shit to know what I'm dealing with.' The figure in front of me bowed down dramatically. As he did so, the room began to twist, and is slowly disintegrating into nothingness. My eyes automatically closed, his words continued to echo across my mind.
{Let me take over, for now.}
Hojo clucked his tongue in an irritated way. They're taking too long. "That's enough with your lolly-gagging. Bring the specimen over the helicopter now!" He yelled for the squad to finish what they're doing and shuffled his way back to the chopper. "Useless imbeciles..." He mumbled while dialing onto his PDA. He lifted the phone to his ear, hearing a couple of rings before somebody answered on the other line.
"Yes, yes, it's me. Ready the specimens for the experiment. Bring the Ancient to the cell with the animal. ...Yes, I've got the other the one." He smiled sickeningly, feeling excited at the thought of the anomaly behind him. "I expect everything's in place by the time I get there." With that he pressed the End button and pocketed the PDA, snickering under his breath. To think that he'll be able to perform an experiment with a very interesting anomaly. "We'll see what's so special about you." He licked his chapped lips and smiled nastily.
"Let me take over, for now."
Hojo slowed in his tracks, and glanced halfway back. Even with the specimen half-dead, he's still speaking in perfect condition. 'Yet another reason to examine him.' He mulled over the thought when suddenly, the men behind him paused as well. The scientist, annoyed at the slow progress, fully faced the group to bark at them again. "What are you all doing-?!" And he, too, stopped as well.
"Man..." The specimen gave off a low chuckle that echoed across the ruined area. The man noticed something, off, with him. He was quite sure that his hair was brown, but now, with the light of the fires providing him proper sight, it was platinum, silver. Just the sight of his hair reminded the mad scientist of one familiar who has silver hair as white as his. "T-this..!" Hojo enthusiastically claimed with a huge, lethal-like smile on his face.
The now silverette tsked at his surroundings and looked up, his eyes, Hojo noted, were glowing a fierce emerald green he had never seen before. "Are you going to let me go or not?" He questioned dangerously, glaring down at the men with those fierce green eyes. The soldiers momentarily hesitated but they didn't move. This caused the young man to involuntarily smirk.
"Well, then.~"
Before Hojo could blink, the two MPs that were holding him were sprawled on a pile of debris, howling in pain and clutching onto their arms, which were twisted so horribly it was astonishing to see them still attached to their shoulders. The young man in the center carefully brushed the soot from his clothes and smirked at the remaining soldiers, a hand reached out with his fingers taunting them to come near him. "Make it worthwhile for me, would you?" He said sarcastically.
Hojo felt like a child in a candy store. This, this young man, no, this interesting specimen, he must obtain him. "Detain him..!" He happily declared, failing to notice the reluctance sprung unto the faces of each soldier after witnessing the spectacle. "...Y-you heard the professor! Get im'!" The team captain uncomfortably ordered the others as they nodded slowly. The silverette seemed satisfied with their answers as he readied his stature, fists at the ready.
The group took out their guns as Hojo did the same, however this time with a camera. He set it up to 'record' as screams penetrated the area. "Guagh..!" An MP choked as the silverette brought his elbow to completely smash against the man's ribcage. The men scattered about with the silver headed fellow jumping from man to man, performing painful treatments to their bodies. Before any of them could move, or even run for that matter, all guards slumped to the ground, heavily injured. Hojo shifted the camera to have the figure in the center of it. No matter how much strain he put into his fists the young man didn't even look tired. Instead, he tilted his silver head to the professor's direction, a foul smile on his face.
BAM! In an instant, Hojo was on fours, lying on his back as the young man loomed over him, that same smile still there with a vice-like grip to the professor's throat. "...Professor Hojo..." He whispered in a deadly voice, teeth grit while looking down on the man with his glowing green eyes. The other man was choking, the vice-like grip wasn't toning down and Hojo, for the first time, feared his own death.
He desperately fumbled in his pockets for a syringe while the young man continued talking, "If I kill you now...maybe there'll be less problems in the future, ain't that right professor~?" He let the word slur in his tongue with pure sarcasm as he hardened his grip. He's beginning to see dark spots in his vision as he gasped and gagged.
"...Gast." Hojo felt his heart stopped at the name. He stared horrified at the young man, now glaring.
'...How did he know?' "...Hollander. Lucrecia. Vincent. Ifalna. Nanaki. Aeris. Nibelheim." The glow from his eyes flashed dangerously.
"CLOUD. ZACK. SEPHIRO-..!" Suddenly, the male stopped, and his sneering voice was replaced by a forced gurgle, followed by the sound of electricity being pumped up inside his body. The grip on his neck loosened and Hojo looked behind the silverette to see an MP standing, a stun rod in hand and the weapon directed to the nape of his neck.
The MP behind him took away the stun rod as the young man plummeted to the ground beside Hojo, his body still twitching and quivering with the entire electricity still coursing in his body. The professor took immediate deep breaths and forced himself to sit up, massaging his neck. "...Y-you sure took your damn time!" He said hoarsely as the MP shrugged and placed the stun rod back to his holster.
"I apologize, Professor. I was powerless against him in direct contact."
"Never mind, never mind that! Quickly get him up to the chopper..!"
"What about the others, sir?"
Hojo walked over to his camera, fortunately unharmed from the scuffle as he checked the contents. "Leave them behind. We won't have enough time. Besides, those Turks will come here to get the other Turk below this wreckage. Hopefully he's incapacitated so that I can examine him." He cackled as he pocketed the camera as well as his hands, and began to walk back to the helicopter.
"Tch..." The MP clucked his tongue in irritation, but Hojo heard it. However, instead of berating him heatedly, the old scientist chuckled madly under his breath.
"Now don't go thinking you'd go down there yourself. You have a job to do, am I right?" He mocked as the MP lowered his head, and at the same time, took his helmet off, revealing brunette hair styled in an angular, spiky shape, steel gray eyes, and a face that of a veteran warrior.
"...Yes, sir." He said, grabbing the young man by the collar and glared fiercely at the ground.
AN: What do you guys think? Only peeps who played the entire FFVII franchise should know who's our mysterious stranger..! ...Or maybe you dudes who researched onto it. You guys prolly know. Hehehe.
Anyway, second term starts on the sixth of January, so I might not have enough time to finish this. After all, I'm the worst updater in the history of FFVII fanfiction. DX The only things that keep me going are Reviews, as they are the necessary fuel for my imagination and inspiration. So if you still want to see more of Noel's adventure into the fantastic world of Final Fantasy VII, please leave behind a Review..! :D I love Reviews that give me insights of the story and what they think of it in general. I may not update as much as I used to, but I will never, ever give up on it.
Strife666, Golum936, DarkDust27, TheSuperMario, and jack the lad, thank you so much for your reviews. Hopefully you guys are still reading on to this, even though it might've sucked already... still, thank you very much.
As usual, please don't forget to Review! If I'm going to be inspired, it'll be coming from you, dear reader/reviewer. That will be just fifteen seconds of your life I promise!
Again, thank you for reading 'Through the Worlds to You'
~Rivai